


coffee at midnight (the light reflects)

by interstellarbeams



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Concussions, Dani Powell is persistent, Descriptions of Anxiety, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Sharing a Meal, Stubborn Characters, What do you mean this isn’t a date?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interstellarbeams/pseuds/interstellarbeams
Summary: Dani has a concussion and Malcolm offers to take care of her.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 12
Kudos: 102





	coffee at midnight (the light reflects)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Audrey for being my beta and K and Siobhán for encouraging me and sparking more ideas. 
> 
> Title is from _You Are In Love_ by Taylor Swift. I listened to it on repeat while writing this. 😆
> 
> Can’t stop, won’t stop writing these two in Malcolm’s apartment. My muse said _this is what’s happening, get used to it_!
> 
> Yes, I will write happy endings. Malcolm deserves to be happy even if it’s just in fic. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated! 💕

“I could have gone to my own apartment. I would have been fine.” Dani walked stiffly next to him, not even allowing their shoulders to brush, which would happen every so often when they were on a case. 

“Just because you _could_ go to your own apartment, doesn’t mean you should. Besides, Gil asked me to watch after you…You really don’t want me to disappoint him, do you?” Malcolm glanced over at her, his profiler tendencies searching for any sign of discomfort or pain. 

There were tight lines by her eyes but other than that, she could have been completely fine. The doctor hadn’t even bandaged her head, but the CT scan had found signs of a concussion. That’s why they were heading to his apartment instead of downtown to hers. 

Dani sighed, twisting her mouth in that interesting way she always did. Malcolm found it hard to pull his attention away from the dimple by the corner, but thankfully they reached his apartment door and he had an excuse to distract himself, focusing on inserting the key. 

The door opened with barely a squeak. His mother’s apartment manager had been hired because of his impeccable record and his fastidious attention to detail and cleanliness. Malcolm’s building was probably the nicest in Manhattan and his mother paid handsomely for that privilege. Nothing but the best for _her_ son. 

Malcolm knew better than to touch Dani’s back as he escorted her inside — she would find it condescending and she was in pain so her reactions tended to grow worse — but he gestured at her to proceed inside. He would treat her like a lady, no matter how annoying she found it. 

Malcolm dropped his keys in his coat pocket before hanging it on the rack by the door. Dani kept her black coat on, her hands shoved deep into the pockets. He wondered if she was cold, or maybe she was trying really hard not to punch him…he couldn’t be sure. 

He flicked the light on, adding to the illumination of the sunset glow shining through the windows of his loft. 

Dani immediately flinched against the additional light and he flicked the switch back off, cursing himself for his stupidity.

“Sorry. Tenderness and sensitivity to light is another symptom of concussion. I forgot.”

Dani tossed him a look that was practically full of venom and Malcolm lifted placating hands towards her as he scooted around her to head into the kitchen.

_Best not to mention any more symptoms. You’re starting to sound like a medical book and Dani clearly isn’t happy about it._

Malcolm moved to the sink and filled a glass. With his back turned to Dani he couldn’t see her but she seemed to feel awkward, unwilling to make herself at home. Most likely because she was still protesting the fact that she was there on orders from their boss.

Malcolm didn’t have a problem taking care of her. He had practically volunteered, and with JT and Tally with the new baby, and Edrisa taking care of her elderly mother with dementia, he was literally the only choice. She had done the same for him, on numerous occasions. It was time to pay back the favor, no matter how much she fought him.

“Here you should drink this.”

Dani took the glass reluctantly, a clearly rebellious glare on her face but Malcolm ignored it.

“I have a concussion, I’m not dehydrated.” 

“Trust me. The water will help.”

She held it in one hand looking on the verge of dashing it into his face, so Malcolm took a more determined stance — crossing his arms over his chest and positioning himself in an adamant manner. 

Dani was a stubborn person but then, so was he, and he knew that she needed him to be firm. Despite her taking on the habits of a rebellious teenager, she would eventually thank him if he persisted. 

She looked like she was going to ignore his advice, her mouth set in a mulish line, but she finally sat at the island and drank the whole glass while he watched. 

“Happy now?” She added, the rough striations of her voice doing things to him that he didn’t want to uncover. 

“Yes.” 

The silence stretched between them, punctuated by the endless sound of police sirens outside, reminding them that crime never slept. 

Malcolm knew it well. His thoughts were continuously besieged by memories of his father’s crimes — the girl in the box — and the countless murderers he had helped catch since he joined the FBI and then the NYPD. It was what he did; what helped him feel alive. But sometimes he wondered if it wasn’t like the weight of chains attached to cinder blocks, weighing him down until he sank to the bottom of an ocean of depravity. 

The sound of Dani’s movements as she removed her coat brought him out of his dark thoughts and he glanced up quickly to find her watching him, a small frown between her eyebrows.

“Sorry, I uh— got lost in thought for a second. Do you want anything to eat…? I’m fresh out of, basically everything, but I can order in.” 

“No. No, thanks, but I’m good. I don’t know if I could handle food right now without throwing up.”

Malcolm winced in sympathy. His medications cause nausea a lot of the time, hence his lack of appetite but he didn’t wish that side effect on anyone. It left his already jittery hands worse and caused a lack of energy that was remedied by another medication. Sometimes he wondered what really kept him going but that kind of dark introspection was best left for the nights when his night terrors wouldn’t let him rest.

“Why don’t you relax on the couch? I’ll be right there, just don’t fall asleep okay.”

“Yes, sir.” Dani replied sarcastically. Malcolm narrowed his eyes at her, but didn’t reply as he walked a few steps to the raised platform of his bedroom. 

He shook his head at her bad mood. It was logical, being that she was in pain, but usually Dani treated him like a friend and not an interloper who was trying to ruin her life. 

He gathered his latest book from his nightstand and shrugged out of his suit jacket before hanging it in the wardrobe, then headed towards the couch where Dani’s curly head could be seen over top of the leather back. 

“Do you want the remote?” He asked, standing at the edge of the coffee table. 

She rolled her neck along the back of the couch to glance over at him. Her forehead was still furrowed in a frown and he cursed his idiocy. 

“Shit. I’m sorry, Dani. Did you need some painkillers?” He tossed over his shoulder as he moved back into the kitchen to search for the bottle of ibuprofen he knew existed in his precisely organized cabinets. 

“Bright. It’s okay.” Her voice sounded exhausted and he felt even worse. _You’re doing such a great job taking care of your partner, Malcolm. Just great._

“No. I’m sorry. I told Gil I would look out for you and I’m already doing a horrible job.” 

“No, Malcolm.” She accepted the newly filled glass of water from him and the handful of pills he offered her. “You’re doing your best. I’m sorry _I’m_ being so difficult. It’s not your fault I’m in pain and I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”

“Don’t worry. I can take a lot more abuse than a few eye rolls and angsty sighs.” Malcolm tried to joke but Dani’s serious expression shut down the smile that he had allowed to lift his lips.

“I know where you’re coming from, Bright. You don’t… you don’t have to make light of your past, to make me feel better. Just, please don’t.” She set the glass down, reaching across the space between them to grab a hold of his hand, her gold rings cool against his skin.

Malcolm swallowed hard, trying not to look into the depths of her brown eyes, but he found it almost impossible with her so close; his attention drawn to her like a magpie flitting around its new, sparkling piece of treasure. 

“I’ll try not to, for your sake.”

“Not just mine. For your own. Please.” She squeezed his fingers quickly before she tossed the pills back and took a swig of water. 

The glass made a minimal scraping sound against the wood grain but Malcolm could care less about the varnish on the expensive piece of furniture. Dani had a way of making him feel calm, allowing his neurosis to ease and the constant beating of the thoughts flying through his brain to cease. 

“And here I thought I was supposed to be taking care of you.” He tilted his head, a small smile on his lips. 

Dani smiled back, softly, fingering the edge of the pillow next to her. 

“I’m guessing tv is out of the question. The noise…?”

“Yeah. I’m enjoying the quiet for right now.” 

“I’m gonna read. Is that okay with you?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

The silence around them grew comfortable. The soft sound of the pages turning the only sound besides the occasional noise as Sunshine beat her wings in her cage. It felt nice not to have to fill the silence with incessant chatter. Malcolm was notorious for that, but usually when he was uncomfortable or felt awkward in social situations.

Dani didn’t judge and he appreciated that about her. 

The quiet soon grew louder as Dani’s breaths grew heavier and Malcolm tossed his book onto the coffee table before gently grabbing a hold of her shoulder. 

“Dani. Dani, you aren’t supposed to fall asleep.” He shook her shoulder, calling her name until she woke with a muffled moan that he tried hard to ignore. _No, he wouldn't think of hearing that noise every morning, waking up with her beside him in his bed. Nope._

“Malcolm?” She mumbled, surprising him with the use of his first name, before she pushed herself up so that she sat straighter. 

He reluctantly let his hand drop from her shoulder, the silky softness of her blouse against his hand had been almost as much heaven as the thought of her warm skin. 

“Sorry. Sorry. My eyes just got so heavy.” She yawned, stretching and he smiled, ducking his head.

A yawning Dani was an adorable sight but he didn’t want her to see just how this view of his sleepy partner influenced him. She would probably slug him, if she was in her typical tough-girl-from-the-Bronx state.

Malcolm wracked his brain, trying to think of something to distract her from sleeping that wouldn’t cause her to feel more pain, but the only thing he could come up with was certainly not platonic. Instead, he’d have to resort to doing what he did best — talking. 

“Read any good books lately?” He asked, settling his arm along the back of the couch and turning his body to face her. 

“No… I mean, not really. I used to read so many murder mystery books when I was younger. I know they’re old, but the Nancy Drew mysteries always held my interest. I would check a new one out at the school library practically every week. But now that I’m a detective, it’s hard to find escape in that genre. I just haven't been able to settle on the genre for me, I guess.” She pulled the pillow into her lap and wrapped her arms around it. Malcolm found himself suddenly envious of a cushion and he had to control the urge to shake his head to remove those intrusive thoughts of his friend.

“I— I read a lot during those months when I didn’t speak. It was _easy_ to get lost in stories instead of thinking about all the real problems in my life. I mean, I was ten years old, but I felt like I had the weight of Atlas on my shoulders.” Malcolm shifted his gaze to the condensating glass on his coffee table unable to look Dani in the eyes after revealing so much of himself.

“But you did have the weight of the world on your shoulders. And that’s a lot for a ten year-old boy. You need to stop beating yourself up.” Dani leaned over until she could reach his hand that he had rested on the back of the couch. 

He found his focus settling on Dani’s hand, the second time since they had arrived at his apartment that she had touched him. He knew that it was just a comforting touch, like the warmth of a blanket wrapped around a shivering form, but he couldn’t keep himself from wishing the reason she kept touching him was more personal than that. 

Malcolm cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I’ve been told I’m a narcissist but I really don’t mean to keep bringing up my own pain, when you’re experiencing your own.”

“You have to stop thinking that your pain doesn’t matter in the midst of someone else’s, because it does. I don’t think you’re selfish or narcissistic or you wouldn’t have offered to take care of me after my concussion. You’re just trying to relate to me and I to you.”

Dani’s thumb moved softly across the skin on the back of his hand and he glanced up catching a look that was just as soft in Dani’s eyes. 

“When did you start collecting weapons?” She pulled her gaze away and gestured to the display on the wall across from the couch.

“Oh, uh. I guess, as soon as I was technically legally allowed to purchase one. I started it thinking it was an interesting hobby, but the more I add to it the more I wonder if it’s a type of armor. Like, my attempt to protect myself from the world around me. Maybe if the collection gets large enough, I’ll finally be able to escape my connection to my father or cut the ties that he has on me. I have knives…” Malcolm realized he had made it awkward again but for some reason he found himself opening up to Dani more than he ever had before, it was sort of embarrassing but also kind of freeing. 

Dani didn’t say anything, her gaze bouncing from one piece to the other as he watched the pull of her mouth, the curve of her bottom lip twisting against the other. Her look was considered and he found himself trying to analyze her, but immediately shut it down. He was already making it weird, no need to add more to his pitiful pile by having her catching him staring. 

“I— I’m uh— sorry. God, I can’t seem to keep my mouth shut. I really don’t mean to keep spilling all my secrets to you.” Malcolm turned on the couch tucking his hands in between his legs, staring at the bookshelves across from him. 

“We’re friends, Bright. Maybe one day I’ll be able to spill some of mine to you. Maybe then it won’t be so bad.” 

“Yeah, but once the skeletons are all out between us, then what?”

Dani smiled, ducking her head and curling a strand of hair behind her ear. He wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed or charmed by the idea, maybe a little of both.

Malcolm had to resist staring at her again, besides it was getting dark now and harder to see her. Not exactly late but winter daylight left early and arrived late, and he would soon have to turn on the lights unless they wanted to sit in the shadows. 

“How’s your head?” 

“Better. I think the medicine helped. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Do you think you can eat now? There’s a place down the street that has marvelous Italian.”

“Um, yeah, sure.” Typically she would have nodded along with what she was saying but he figured the motion was probably not conducive to a concussion.

“What do you like?” He asked, getting up to round the couch and grab his phone off the kitchen island. 

“Anything with pasta. I would say with a glass of red wine, but that’s not part of my life anymore.”

“Right. Well, next time you come over I’ll make sure to have some sparkling cider on hand.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly feeling better. He thought maybe the comment had been insensitive but her demeanor didn’t change so he let it go and started tapping away on his phone. 

“Red sauce or white?” He looked up from his phone, the blue glow bright to his eyes in the dimness.

“Mmm.” She twisted her lips again and Malcolm really needed to find something else to focus on. He apparently was a lips man, with other women he felt that their eyes were what always drew him in. Dani’s brown eyes could be as warm as chocolate, but right now they were dark, with overblown pupils and the light wasn’t helping him to see them any better. 

“Red…? I don’t know. I usually eat alfredo but all that butter and cream, probably not a good idea.”

“Right.” 

Malcolm finished their order, making sure to add on extra breadsticks. Dani was tall and slim but he had seen her put away a whole sub sandwich once, after an equally tough day. Carbs were her go to when she was stressed, though surprisingly she didn’t care much for sweets. Go figure.

“The food should be here in a few. I’m gonna…” He made a motion towards the bathroom and she smiled, amusedly. 

_No, of course he wasn’t weird around her_ , he thought to himself as he finished up and washed his hands. _Not at all._

Dani wasn’t on the couch when he walked back in the room but he immediately caught sight of her standing by Sunshine’s cage. 

“She’s somehow sweet for a bird. My aunt had a mean parrot that would yell expletives at you if you got too close.”

“She might, if she could talk. But she can't, so we’ll never know.” Malcolm shrugged, moving to her side and trying to ignore the scent of her hair as she turned back to the cage, the heavy weight of her curls sliding against the smooth silk of her blouse. 

“Maybe if you weren’t so pessimistic, she would.” Dani knocked her shoulder into his and he huffed out a laugh. 

“Nice thought but parakeets don’t have the vocal cord capabilities for speech.”

Dani pierced him with a playful glare and he shut his mouth. _Duh, she was just teasing you. Get a grip._

His phone buzzed and he glanced down to see the notification that their food was on its way. 

“Food’s almost here. Why don’t you get back to the couch and I’ll get the plates and silverware?” He lightly touched her back, instantly surprised when she didn’t jerk away or move so that his hand dropped. She let his hand linger and he didn’t want to move away but forced his feet to leave her tempting presence anyways. 

It seemed fantastical to feel a sudden tingle in the hand that he had allowed to linger on her back. The hand that trembled and he couldn’t get a grip on even if he tried, hadn’t quivered when he had touched her. 

Jessica Whitly would kill him if she ever found out he entertained a woman with restaurant Italian food and dinner at the coffee table — she insisted on formal meals whenever and however she could make them happen — but she wasn’t here to judge him. Besides, Dani wasn’t feeling a hundred percent and they weren’t on a date. It was just two people enjoying a meal together, right? 

He decided to turn on the lamp next to the sofa, hoping that the shade would diffuse the light so that it wouldn’t hurt Dani’s eyes. The recessed lighting above he left off, though his weapons cases were always lit from the inside and they cast a warm glow on the wood of the coffee table.

He gathered the plates and a knife and fork for each of them and placed them on the coffee table when there was a knock on his door. 

As soon as he opened the door, the tantalizing smell of Italian food teased at his nose and surprisingly made his stomach growl which wasn’t typical for him. 

“I can say this with complete sincerity, I’m starving.”

“Wow, I mean, I heard you didn’t eat but I didn’t know you were at starvation level.” Dani teased as he handed her one of the bags. She opened it and removed the biodegradable carton inside— about five years ago the restaurant had stopped using styrofoam, something that Malcolm was very excited about. 

“Smells good.” She added when he offered her breadsticks. 

Dani took one before he set the container on the coffee table.

“Oh,” He snapped his fingers as he stood to walk back into the kitchen. “I forgot the serving spoons. Hold on.”

“You don’t have to go to that much trouble just for me, Bright.” Dani called after him but he couldn’t not treat her the way that she deserved. Other men may have treated her differently, but he was gonna treat her the right way, even if she was just a friend. 

“Thank you.” She smiled at him when he offered her a spoon which she immediately dipped into the container of spaghetti and meatballs. 

They were quiet while they ate, the slide of knives and forks against porcelain a nice contrast to the noise that usually accompanied his dinners with mother. He loved her, don’t get him wrong, but she could talk the ear off a deaf donkey— probably where he got it from. 

He heard a huff of amusement and turned his attention from the pasta he was pushing around his plate to Dani, who had a string of cheese held out from her forkful of pasta.

“Here, let me.” He reached out and swiped at the cheese with his knife and it finally let go. He smiled, shaking his head as Dani mumbled a thank you before shoving in another mouthful.

“Did you even eat breakfast this morning? Or have you been unintentionally fasting?”

Dani glared at him, then swallowed her mouthful. “You’re one to talk. Do you even eat at those brunches your mother throws?”

“No.” Malcolm huffed out a laugh. “To be honest, both Ainsely and I go there because she wants us there. Very rarely do we eat what she serves and she downs so many mimosas that by the time the food is served, she barely notices that we haven’t eaten anything by the end of the hour.” 

“Oh.” Dani glanced away and took a bite out of her bread, before sighing and leaning back against the cushions. “This is really good, but I’m full and I really don’t want to push my luck on the whole barfing thing.”

“Yes, please don’t. I mean, I may look like I have it all together but vomit, I won’t be able to handle.”

“Chill, Bright. I won’t sully any of your precious knick knacks by projectile vomiting on them.” 

“Good.” Malcolm grinned at her, a small, playful smirk. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone teased him and it made him feel this good, and not like he was being made fun of like he had been thoroughly throughout his school years. Kids were cruel and even more cruel to the son of a known serial killer. 

“Looks like I’ll have to supply a doggie bag after tonight. There’s no way I’m gonna be able to eat all this before it goes bad.” 

“I’d appreciate that. I haven’t been grocery shopping in awhile. I think there’s a lonely bottle of water and a package of American singles and that’s about it.”

“Sounds like my fridge.” Malcolm leaned back, mimicking her pose as she propped her feet on the table.

“You know you can take off your shoes, right? Make yourself at home. I’d hate for you to be uncomfortable.”

Dani’s cheeks pinked a little and Malcolm found the look utterly charming. That, mixed with the happy smile pulling at her cheeks made him want to tease her and feed her every time she came to his apartment. Usually, she just drove by to drop him off, walking him inside to make sure there weren’t any intrusive serial killers hanging out waiting to take him out. Occasionally, he would offer to fix them some coffee, decaf or Earl Grey tea if it was earlier in the day, but his usual moves of asking a girl up for a drink didn’t exactly work with breakfast beverages, but because Dani didn’t drink anymore, that was all he had to offer.

The sound of Dani’s boots hitting the carpet brought his attention back to his partner and he tried to think of something to talk about that they hadn’t already discussed. Cases were out of the question and Ainsley’s boyfriend drama wouldn’t be appropriate. Malcolm found that everything he had to say was something she had already experienced with him through their daily work and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it — was that a good or a bad thing. If they, one day, decided to take whatever this was further, what would they talk about?

He huffed out an awkward laugh at his inner thoughts, not even realizing he had responded to what he was thinking out loud until Dani turned to him.

“What’s so funny?” One of her eyebrows raised in a small gesture and she pressed her lips together causing her dimple to appear, teasing him like the wink of shining coins at the bottom of a wishing fountain.

“Nothing. I— I just feel sort of lame. Sitting here with such a beautiful woman and I don’t know what to say.” Malcolm blurted out, realizing too late that he had spoken his thoughts aloud again.

He rubbed a hand across his forehead and moved to stand up. He couldn’t believe that after this long in her company he was finally showing her this side of himself. He felt like how he had when he had met Eve for the first time, all left feet and stumbling over simple things like speaking to her. 

“Malcolm.” Dani’s hand reached out and grasped him by the arm.

He turned to look back at her, surprised that she would want anything to do with such a mess of a man as he was, but her expression was understanding and he felt like her friendship was more than he deserved.

“Dani…” He found himself speechless again as he looked down into her brown eyes. “I…”

“It’s okay. Don’t get yourself so worked up. Sit back down. Please?” Her fingers were firm against his upper arm but the looseness in the way that she held him allowed him to make up his own mind. She wasn’t trying to move him, she was letting him decide for himself, what he would do. 

“Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” She dropped her hand when he sat back down, but she scooted over so that they were practically sitting elbow to elbow and took his hand.

Her fingers moved slowly on the tender skin on the back of his hand, the movement soothing  
him but inflaming his senses in an entirely different way.

Malcolm’s breath stuttered, his heartbeat speeding up the longer she continued the trailing pattern across his hand. Goosebumps pricked across his skin and he caught her gaze, the sumptuous arch of her bottom lip beckoning like a siren’s song.

He lifted a hand to her cheek, touching her softly as if she would disintegrate if his hand laid against her skin too heavily. She turned her cheek into his hand like a cat and the softness of her curls slipped across the back of his hand. He didn’t know what came over him but before he even made the decision he was pressing his lips to hers — tasting the curve of her smile and trying to commit it to memory so that he would always have a bit of her sunshine hidden away where it couldn’t be stolen. 

He could barely believe what was happening but her hands settled to the tops of his shoulders grounding him despite the way her kiss left his head floating like a wayward balloon through opaque clouds. 

He couldn’t get enough of her and swept his fingers through her curls, the strands tangling around his fingers as he grasped the back of her neck and pulled her closer.

The coolness of her hand pressed against the side of his neck and he swore his pulse jumped when she released a soft moan into his mouth.

Her reaction brought him back to earth and he pulled away — he had forgotten about her concussion. _Oh god, what if he had hurt her._

Malcolm pressed anxious hands to the side of his head and stood, moving away from the proof of his own ineptitude. He didn’t notice the heavy rise and fall of her breaths, the hazy look in her eyes or the heady blush that had risen to her cheeks, his head was sunk into his hands.

“Malcolm? What’s the matter?” Her voice was concerned, the breadth of it raspy and warm enough that he wanted to sink into it but he didn’t deserve her care. 

He paced across the floor between the couch and the kitchen. His thoughts raced as he tried to reconcile his want for her with his lack of respect. He couldn’t believe that he had let his lust black out the tenderness he should have been showing her as the injured woman that she was.

“Bright, are you okay?” Her heard her  
movements on the couch as her clothing brushed against the leather but he couldn’t face her.

“Stop. Please. I can’t…”

“Malcolm. It’s okay. I’m— I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset. I— I thought you wanted to kiss me.” Her voice faltered, drawing his attention away from his own selfish actions.

“No. No. I mean— of course, I wanted to kiss you. I just— I shouldn’t have. I hurt you.” He dropped his hands to the back of his neck, glancing over at her where she still sat on the couch. 

“You didn’t hurt me, Malcolm. I’m fine. I’m barely even dizzy anymore.” She moved so that she was kneeling on the cushions, but she must have moved too quickly because her hands immediately grabbed onto the back like she was afraid to fall.

Malcolm hurried over to her. His hands immediately grabbing onto her shoulders to steady her, ignoring the instinct that told him that he should stay away. Dani was hurt and she needed him, how could he not do something.

“Dani? Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, desperately searching her gaze but her pupils were back to normal. 

“I’m fine. I just—“ She huffed out a laugh, lifting her hands from the couch to rest against his waist. “I got a little dizzy but I’m fine. My headache is practically gone.” 

Her hands were warm against the fabric of his shirt, soaking through his clothing and into his skin like sunlight dappled on a sidewalk. Dani did that, made him feel welcome and warm, unlike his anxiety that made him feel like he’s coming out of his skin, like he doesn’t belong and never will. She threw all those feelings out of the window with the nature of her presence and the acceptance of her friendship. He hoped he hadn’t ruined it.

“Malcolm… I wanted to thank you for being here for me today. I— I wanted to apologize for how I treated you earlier. You didn’t deserve that.”

“I already told you I could handle it, Dani. What I can’t handle… is— is pushing you away with unwanted advances. I’m sorry.” He hung his head, closing his eyes against the shame that he felt.

Her fingers were soft as they rested against his cheeks and he wanted to pull away but he couldn’t. She drew him in like the sun to the earth with a pull of gravity and he couldn’t leave even if he wanted to. He felt the softest of kisses brush his cheek like butterflies wings and the butterflies in his stomach erupted into a swarm that skittered along his veins and started his heart racing.

“Dani?” He shifted his hands, moving closer into her orbit and inhaling the scent of her perfume like the sweetest of incenses. 

“It’s okay.” She murmured against his lips, then she was kissing him and he gripped her to him. Her chest was flush against his and the press of her lips were soft and enticing, drawing him into a subtle surrender.

All he could think of us was getting her closer, drawing her nearer, inhaling her breaths until they shared the same oxygen and nothing stood between them but their own skin. Pressing together until their hearts beat in tandem and their bodies moved in time with each other.

Then the phone rang — _his_ — he pulled away on a sigh, his fingers loathe to lose their grip on her. He moved around the couch to pick up his phone before sitting down beside her. 

Dani’s chin settled against his shoulder as he answered, holding the phone up to his ear while wrapping an arm around her waist. Her eyes seemed to twinkle at him and he had to stifle a gasp, instead uttering a hello into the phone, when her lips suddenly teased at his neck. 

“Hey, Bright. Sorry to call you so late. I was uh, wanting to see how Dani was doing… could I speak to her?”

“Sure, Gil.” Malcolm swallowed hard as Dani pulled back a mischievous look on her face, but she put the phone on speaker, answering with the most airy of voices, the picture of angelic innocence.

“Hey boss.” What followed was a short conversation about the case that they had been working on and the instances that had led to Dani’s concussion which Malcolm completely blocked out when she started scratching her fingers down the back of his neck. Making him feel the sorts of things that should not be permissible while on the phone with your boss.

Her fingers continued to wander through his hair as her nails scraped at his scalp and he swallowed hard, hoping against hope that the phone call would end sooner rather than later.

Finally, for the sake of his sanity, Dani uttered a goodbye and hung up. She barely had a chance to lower the phone before he bent back to his task — consuming her. 

His phone dropped and landed on the floor with what would have been a terror-inducing crack if he hadn’t had other things on his mind as both of her hands went to the back of his neck then traced familiar paths up to his hair. She started pulling at the strands as their kisses grew more heated and he bent her toward the cushions of the couch. 

Malcolm’s heartbeat raced in his chest. Normally he would have been too consumed with whether he was doing okay, were his kisses too rough or too much, was he trying too hard or did he need to work on his technique but with Dani, he didn’t have to worry. He knew her — he had never kissed her before tonight — but he knew that she wouldn’t hurt him and would tell him how she really felt. That was what was great about their relationship — they relied on trust and open communication, nothing was kept secret between them; they had learned that the hard way. 

He probably would have kept kissing her. Her lips like a drug that he was addicted to, like water to a thirst-starved man, but he didn’t want to push her too hard despite the amazing sensations she was eliciting with just the touch of her fingers and lips. She had been injured earlier that day and despite the fact that he knew she was no wilting flower, he also knew that she needed rest.

The pounding blood in his head seemed to block out his hearing and he knew it couldn’t be feeling good in her head after such an injury, so he slowly pulled back, resting their foreheads together.

“Dani, God— I— I don’t want to stop, but we probably should.” 

He felt the harsh response of her breath against his lips. Their faces were still so close but he couldn’t give into temptation any longer, no matter how tempting the offer as her lips curved around a smile. 

“You’re right. I guess we did get carried away.”

“Yeah.” Malcolm agreed as he pushed himself off of her, shifting his gaze away as she sat up, but she didn’t move to sit on the other side of the couch. Instead she settled into the space under his arm and he couldn’t help but wrap her up in his embrace as she rested a hand against him.

“We should do this again sometime.” She murmured, tilting her head to catch his eye.

“What? Get concussions? I don’t know. Gil and human resources might have something to say about that.”

“Hush, that’s not what I meant. I mean—“ Dani gestured to their present situation. “I mean, _this_ , I’m not sure how we will be able to keep this between us. Our relationship— our friendship, it’s more important than to me anything else, but I wouldn’t mind trying to see where this goes.”

Malcolm couldn’t believe this was where the day had taken him. This morning he had taken his pills like normal with a cold glass of water as he tried to remember why he still kept breathing, then Dani had texted about the case. He needed the cases to keep himself sane, but every time he saw her face, heard her voice or caught sight of her curly dark hair when he walked into the precinct, he remembered why he wanted to keep living. But he hadn’t expected _she_ would feel the same way.

“Malcolm?” She asked and he brought himself around, turning his head to catch sight of her frown.

“Sorry! I’m _sorry_. That wasn’t an oh-god-how-do-i-tell-her-i-don’t feel-the-same-way pause but a holy-shit-i-can’t believe-she-feels-the-same-way pause.” Malcolm could hear himself rambling but he couldn’t stop, happiness and excitement made him exhilarated and he didn’t know how to stop. 

Dani sat up, tucking her leg under her but allowed her knee to rest up against his leg, maintaining the connection of their bodies. She lifted a soft hand and he held his breath as he waited to see what she was going to do.

His eyes fluttered closed as the barest touch settled on his hair, then trailed down his neck and around to his jaw which she cupped in her hand, before bending and placing the softest kiss to his lips. She pulled back before he could respond and he opened his eyes to see hers shining with happiness in the amber glow of the lamp behind his head. 

“That was an I-feel-the-same-way kiss.” She replied, lips lifting in a joyful smile that made her eyes crinkle and her nose scrunch. Malcolm couldn’t help but smile back. 

“How about some coffee?” He asked after a moment of happy silence as they both basked in all the possibilities of their _new_ relationship. 

“Nope! The concussed declares we have Earl Grey tea and Twizzlers. I know you have some stashed away somewhere.” 

“Fine. Earl Grey it is. I really gotta find a new place to hide those.” He mumbled as he stood up. 

Dani uttered a full, throaty laugh as she grabbed a hold of his hand as he walked into the kitchen.


End file.
